Drying-board for clay products.



W. K. BROWNLEE. vl )YlN(.-`i BOARD FOR CLAY PRODUCTS. APPLICATION FILED JuLY 24.1911.

Lmm Patentempr. 9,1918..

2 INVENTUR tra spaans erna 1# sie WILLIAM K. IBROWNLEE, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNGR T0 THE BUGKEYE CLAY POT COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

DRYINGr-BOARD FOR CLAY PRODUCTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application led July 24, 1917. Serial No. 132,417.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM K. BROWN- LEE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Drying-Board for Clay Products; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to drying boards intended for use in drying clay products, and more particularly for drying large ul'iticles, such as clay pots, furnaces, or the In the making of clay products, such for instance, as large pots of the type used in connection with glass melting furnaces, the pot is built up on what is termed a drying board, and, when completed, is permitted to stand for a considerable period to thoroughly dry. In order to prevent checking or cracking, due to strains set up in the article by an unequaled drying of different parts thereof, it is important to obtain a uniform drying of the walls of the article and not to retard the drying of the bottom portion, which rests on the drying board, over that of the top and side portions, and it is the object of my invention to provide an improved drying board to accomplish such equalized drying of clay products or the like.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while, in its boarder aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a board embodying my invention. F ig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top perspective view thereof, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. l.

The drying board embodying my invention and illustrated in the drawings has a bottom portion l which is built up, in the present instance, of a plurality of layers of boards with the boards of the successive layers running in different directions. This bottom may be mounted on spaced beams or stringers 2 and be given a contour suitable forV the shape of the article or articles to be mounted or built thereon.

A series of transversely spaced strips 3 are mounted on the top of the bottom portion l, all extending in one direction, in the present instance, and forming a plurality of air circulating spaces 4c over the top surface of the bottom l, which spaces open at their ends to the atmosphere to permit a free lengthwise circulation of air therethrough. These strips preferably cover the entire bottom portion of the drying board, or at least the area thereof which is coextensive with the bottom of the article or articles to be dried thereon.

Mounted over the strips 3 and supported thereby, is a perforate member 5, preferably comprising a wire mesh screen, upward through which air is permitted to freely circulate from the spaces 4. A. flange or retaining strip 6 is mounted around the marginal edge of the board over the screen 5 and forms a confining wall for a coarse gravel, grit or sand 7, which is spread over the top of the screen.

In the use of my improved drying board, the article to be dried is built up or mounted on the grit, gravel or sand covered surface of the screen 5 and when completed is permitted to remain on the board until thoroughly dried, the period of which depends on the thickness of the walls of the article, atmospheric conditions, etc. With the large pots used in connection with glass melting furnaces, or the like, several weeks and sometimes months are required for a thorough drying` of the product. The free circulation of air between the strips 3, and upward through the screen 5, and grit or other material 7, mounted thereon, under the entire bottom of the article materially facilitates an equalization of the drying of an article over the drying methods heretofore employed, to my knowledge, and eliminates the cracking and checking of the article due to strains set up therein by reason of an unequal drying` thereof, which checking and cracking causes so much annoyance and eX- pense in time and money to manufacturers of clay pots and other large clay products. It is also found that the use of my improved drying board very materially shortens the period required for drying. The purpose of using the grit or coarse material 7 on which the article directly rests, is to permit free lateral movement of the clay lin the bottom portion of the article as it contracts during drying, thereby preventing liability of chipping oil the bottom edge 01": the article during such movement.

*I Wish it understood that my invention is notl limited to any specific construction or form of the parts as it is capable of numerous modifications Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention What I claim is new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A drying board of the class described, comprising a plurality of transversely spaced horizontally disposed strips, a substantially solid bottom extending entirely under said strips and supporting the same, said strips and bottom cooperating to form air circulating passages, a oraminous member mounted over said strips, and a layer of coarse porous material mounted on said supported by and mounted over said strips.

3. A drying board comprising a bottom portion of imperforate construction, strips mounted in transversely spaced Vrelation on said bottom and forming air passages therebetween which open to the atmosphere at the ends of the strips, a screen-like member mounted over said strips, a flange disposed around the marginal edge of said bottom` over said strips and member, and a porous material disposed over said member and adapted to directly support an article to be dried. I

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM K. BROVVNLEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

